A state bill to authorize broadband and VoIP oversight by the New York Public Service Commission cleared the Assembly Corporations Commission at a livestreamed Tuesday hearing. The PSC would gain authority on broadband infrastructure resiliency, public safety and data collection under the bill (AB-7412), which goes next to Ways and Means Committee. The Republican side voted no and raised concerns about possible federal preemption and state-by-state regulation discouraging investment. Lawmakers learned in a recent storm that there's “very little regulation and ... we could use some,” said Chair Amy Paulin (D). The proposed law might end up in court like New York’s recent affordable broadband requirement (see 2105180044), said Paulin: she hopes the court will side with consumers. AARP, Consumer Reports and Communications Workers of America support AB-7412. The committee also split by party to clear AB-2396 to direct the PSC to set reasonable rates for cable and broadband pole attachments. It goes next to the Rules Committee.
A Nevada data broker privacy bill cleared the Assembly and needs another Senate vote due to an Assembly amendment. The Assembly voted 41-0 for SB-260, which would prohibit data brokers from selling personally identifiable information if a consumer requests (see 2103310061). Senators voted 21-0 last month. The Assembly amendment clarified right-to-cure language. Also Friday, senators voted 21-0 for an amended broadband grants bill (AB-388) and sent it back to the Assembly.
Masks, hand sanitation and social distancing will be required when Google opens its first retail store, inside its campus in New York’s Chelsea this summer. “Our expectations of how we shop have changed significantly, and forever, due to" COVID-19, blogged Vice President-Direct Channels and Membership Jason Rosenthal Thursday. The block-long store is a few hundred feet from an Apple retail location.
Broadband applications are due Aug. 17 and should target the “greatest number of households in an eligible service area” or rural areas, with 100 Mbps download, 20 Mbps upload prioritized. That's part of NTIA's $288 million grant program to expand broadband infrastructure to census blocks where at least one household or business is unserved, said a news release Wednesday. NTIA expects to select winning applicants by Nov. 15 and the earliest start date as Nov. 29, said a notice of funding opportunity. Awards will likely range $5 million-$30 million.
The Wisconsin Public Service Commission will open a $100 million broadband funding round in two weeks using American Rescue Plan Act funding, Gov. Tony Evers (D) said Tuesday. Evers urged the state legislature to tag another $200 million. The PSC is “committed to getting the funding awarded quickly and efficiently,” said Chairperson Rebecca Valcq. It will provide more information June 1, with applications due July 27, Evers' office said.
Oklahoma’s USF administrator will extend temporary emergency funding for increased bandwidth at schools, libraries and healthcare facilities through Sept. 30, Oklahoma Corporation Commission Public Utility Division Director Brandy Wreath wrote stakeholders Monday. The COVID-19 support was to end June 30, after earlier extensions (see 2007290055).
Washington, D.C., Council members set a Sept. 16 hearing on a bill to require a plan to upgrade internet in neighborhoods with slow speeds and address affordability gaps. The Government Operations and Facilities Committee hears B24-0200 at noon, said Monday's notice. Ten council members supported the measure last month (see 2104060063).
California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) tagged $7 billion for broadband middle mile in an economic recovery package proposed to the legislature Friday. “Broadband for all -- let’s do this,” he exclaimed in a streamed news conference. This would use mostly federal and some state dollars and let localties and tribes provide service, he said. The proposal got kudos from Sen. Lena Gonzalez and Assemblymember Cecilia Aguiar-Curry, Democratic sponsors of broadband legislation to revamp the California Advanced Services Fund (See 2104130032). “This level of investment will significantly jumpstart efforts to deploy broadband infrastructure throughout the state and will provide much needed broadband funds for rural areas, tribes and local governments,” said Gonzalez in a statement. Aguiar-Curry deemed it “a bold proposal to address the gap in access to reliable and affordable internet.” The plan "would give California one of the largest public broadband fiber networks in the country," blogged Electronic Frontier Foundation Senior Legislative Counsel Ernesto Falcon.
Washington lifted municipal broadband restrictions Thursday when Gov. Jay Inslee (D) signed HB-1336 and SB-5383, passed last month (see 2104260061). While together they remove limits, the Senate bill would add a reporting requirement specific to unserved areas. Reporting requirements will vary and localities “can do whatever they want,” and Inslee "believes expanding access to broadband is important to equity and increasing opportunity for Washingtonians facing barriers to internet connectivity," a spokesperson said Friday. Rep. Drew Hansen (D) replied Friday to a tweet by Institute for Local Self-Reliance Director-Community Broadband Networks Christopher Mitchell, who raised concerns the Senate bill might keep some muni limits. Mitchell later told us “decades of history of the raw political power of large cable and telephone companies makes me wary of any doubt in whether there are barriers to local Internet choice but unless I hear differently at this point, my impression is that Washington has removed its barriers to publicly-owned networks.” Also Thursday, Inslee signed HB-1477 implementing 988. He signed SB-5009 on strategic lawsuits against public participation Wednesday (see 2104150028).